Liquid fuel torches



Dec. 20, 1960 T. CURZON 2,965,164 LIQUID FUEL. TORCHEIS Filed Oct. 10, 1958 United States Patent LIQUID FUEL TORCHES Thomas Curzon, London, England, assignor to C.A.V. Limited, London, England Filed Oct. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 766,481

Claims priority, application Great Britain Oct. 22, 1957 1 Claim. (Cl. 158-28) This invention has for its object to provide in a simple form, a liquid fuel torch which whilst applicable to a variety of uses is especially suitable for heating the air in the air intake manifold of an internal combustion engine when starting a cold engine.

A torch in accordance with the invention comprises a hollow cylindrical body part which is open at one end, and has formed in it air admission apertures at a distance from the said end, a liquid fuel vaporizer mounted coaxially within the body part, a fuel valve at the inlet end of the body part, a valve-controlling stem contained in the vaporizer having a different thermal coefficient of expansion from that of the vaporizer such as will allow the valve to be opened by fuel pressure when the vaporizer and stem are heated, and an electrically heatable coil surrounding the vaporizer and adapted both to heat the vaporizer and effect ignition of the vapour.

The accompanying drawing is a sectional side elevation of a torch embodying the invention, for use in heating the air in the air intake manifold of an internal combustion engine.

Referring to the drawing, the torch there shown is provided with a hollow cylindrical metal body part a adapted to be inserted through a lateral hole into the air manifold. The said part is open at its inner end and has formed on it an external screw thread b for engagement with a complementary screw thread in the said hole.

The outer end of the body part is closed, and to this end is secured one end of a liquid fuel vaporizer which extends axially into and along the greater portion of the length of the body part. The vaporizer consists of Ra hollow cylindrical metal part c of cylindrical form,

;having an inlet end portion 0', which projects from the (outer end of the body part and is adapted for connection thereto of a liquid fuel supply pipe by which fuel is conveyed under pressure from a supply pump. In

, the said inlet end portion of the vaporizer is formed a seating d for a valve, which latter may consist of a ball e or a conical plug, the valve being normally held in contact with the seating by an axial stem 1 contained within the vaporizer. At its inner end this stem closes and is secured to the inner end of the vaporizer, and has formed in it a small vapour discharge orifice g through which the vapour can flow from the interior of the vaporizer. The latter and the stem are made from metals'having different thermal coeflicients of expansion such as will enable the stem to release the valve and allow the latter to open under fuel pressure when the vaporizer is heated.

Heating of the vaporizer is effected by a helically coiled wire h mounted on and electrically insulated from the vaporizer. At one end this wire is connected to an insulated current supply terminal 1 on the outer end of the body part. At the other end the wire coil is extended beyond the inner end of the vaporizer and is secured to the body part.

The device is such that when cold the valve is held closed by the stem within the vaporizer. On heating the coil the first effect is to cause the stem to release the valve and so allow fuel oil to enter the vaporizer. A jet of vapour then issues through the orifice at the inner end of the stem and is ignited by the extended end of the coil. Air required from combustion of the jet is supplied to the interior of the body part from the manifold through lateral ports k formed in the body part at a position ad acent to that at which the fuel emerges from the vaporizer which air serves also to stabilise the flame.

When it is desired to discontinue the action of the torch, the coil heating current is switched off, and the consequent cooling of the vaporizer causes the stem to re-close the valve.

By this invention a torch for the purpose mentioned is provided in a simple, robust and efficient form. The invention is not, however, restricted to such use as it may also be employed for other purposes, such as the ignition of gases in an oil or gas combustion apparatus for prime movers, furnaces, air or water heaters or the like.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A liquid fuel torch comprising in combination a hollow cylindrical body part which is open at one end and closed at the other end, and which at positions spaced from its open end is provided with air admission openings, a liquid fuel vaporizer in the form of a hollow cylindrical metal part having an inlet portion which is secured to the closed end of the body part, and which extends coaxially along the greater portion of the interior of the body part, a fuel valve mounted within the inlet portion of the vaporizer at a position adjacent the closed end of the body part, a valvecontrolling stern contained in the vaporizer with one end supporting the valve and the opposite end secured to and closing the end of the vaporizer remote from the valve, and an electrically heatable coil which is mounted on and surrounds the vaporizer, and extends beyond the last mentioned end thereof, the last mentioned end of the stem being provided with a discharge orifice through which vapour from the interior of the vaporizer can fiow for ignition by the adjacent part of the coil when the latter is heated and the vaporizer and stem having different coefficients of expansion such as will enable the stem to release the valve and allow the latter to be opened by fuel pressure when the vaporizer and stem are heated by the coil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,529,906 Morris Mar. 17, 1925 2,408,673 Moorhead Oct. 1, 1946 2,785,741 Gravers Mar. 19, 1957 2,841,214 Ridel et al. July 1, 1958 2,852,069 Ridel et al Sept. 16, 1958 

